Neuro Note 1: Dementia

In the emotional, raw TED Talk titled, "How my Dad's Dementia Changed my Idea of Death (and Life)," Beth Malone discusses her father's struggle with late-stage frontotemporal lobe dementia and how it has affected her. I chose this video to reflect on because I was curious just how neurodegenerative diseases, such as dementia, can affect the family, and Beth does just that. Like Beth's father, those with late-stage neurodegenerative diseases and conditions may no longer be who they once were - an in-shape athlete, a hardworking farmer, or rockstar parent. It is very difficult for the client, as well as the family, to come to terms with this.
In this TED Talk, Beth explains that to stop his suffering, she wanted to get her father out of his body, and not by killing him directly, but by telling him something like "it's ok to die. We will all be fine and we love you." Rather, she got a short glimpse of her "real" father again and realized that he was just grateful to be there and that she is not responsible for his life. Sometimes the best thing for a child or spouse to do is to just be there with them and resume your God-given roles of, in Beth's case, father and daughter.
This story reminds me, as a future occupational therapy practitioner, to always treat caregivers and loved ones with compassion and empathy. Times like these are extremely difficult for them, and it is important to put ourselves in their shoes.

Watch the full video below:

Reference:

Malone, B. (2017, June). How my dad's dementia changed my idea of death (and life) [Video]. TED.  https://www.ted.com/talks/beth_malone_how_my_dad_s_dementia_changed_my_idea_of_death_and_life